Crews work through the night on fire near Lake Lure

Firefighters who responded to a house and brush fire near Lake Lure Thursday wrapped up a 26-hour operation at 4:30 p.m. Friday after extinguishing hot spots.

By Emily WeaverTimes-News Staff Writer

Firefighters who responded to a house and brush fire near Lake Lure Thursday wrapped up a 26-hour operation at 4:30 p.m. Friday after extinguishing hot spots. A house more than 100 years old burned to the ground, and six acres were set ablaze. Sarah Lawter, who lived in the home at 361 Lake Lure Highway for decades, lost nearly everything. The American Red Cross of Henderson County is assisting Lawter, and can be reached at 828-693-5605.The fire began in an old, faulty clothes dryer that caught aflame and quickly spread to a wall in the kitchen on the other side of the dryer. The fire had engulfed the home, built in 1888, according to county deed records, by the time firefighters arrived shortly after 2 p.m. Thursday.As firefighters worked to extinguish the fire, flames spread to the hillside behind the house and started to work their way up the mountain.Highway 74 was blocked as firefighters from at least nine agencies fought the flames. A North Carolina Forest Service helicopter from Hickory flew into join the fight, carrying buckets of water dipped from Lake Lure to quench the fire. N.C. Forest Service Ranger Roger Harris said they kept people at the scene through the night to monitor the fire. Crews returned in the morning to continue mopping up hot spots and were not dismissed until 4:30 p.m.Harris said the fire, “in a very bad location,” could have been much worse with the rock cliffs above it and the acres beyond it had they not worked hard to make sure the blaze was truly smothered.Reach Weaver at emily.weaver@blueridgenow.com or 828-694-7867.